If your GF + LF can't even go past the range of magic arrow, then you're doing something wrong.
I can even glide off a monster to give further distance for my GF, that's longer than magic arrow, since source engine is kind of weird that if you go in an angle against something you actually go further than you would straight forward (running against wall effect). You do need to have a monster right next to you when you try to start GF though, also need to angle it right, otherwise it won't work.
Height difference can also be abused for further range, just make sure you're not GFing uphill. GFing down a stair will always give you super long damage range.
Believe it or not, Lann has all the skills to make it work, and he is certainly not underpowered. He might be hard to use, but you knew that long time ago, didn't you?
I don't know for you, but I know a lot players that used to say "I will practice and do whatever it takes for me to master spears/swords", and then end up QQing about how Lann die so easily from user error, and continue to yell "buff please" when the class still sits on top damage number one. Then I investigate further, most of them doesn't even have another character. All they did is log onto their lann, saw how skilled player easily out damage them, get raged about being out-damage'd because Lann is supposedly to be the top damage, and complained all day long on forum. I remembered they talking about how they will practice and practice until they can solo Blood Lord, or Black Hammer etc because they saw how easily Raidhunter cut through these bosses and think they can do the same. Guess what, didn't even happen. They thought they are good, but they never bother putting in the work to make it happen. I call these people, typical low skill players. They have never bothered to think why someone else can do it like piece of cake, while they are having an hard to to survive even in party.
Seriously, if you knew one class is going to take a lot practice/effort to play, and still decided to play on it, then follow that to your heart. Constantly say to yourself, "I'm not good enough". If any of you ever notice, even Raidhunter is constantly checking new tricks, studying how someone else deal with a boss attack, and testing it out on his own character. That's the attitude of a good player, only having that attitude will get you into the 20% of population that sticks next to the boss all the time and deal top damage without godly gear.
Sure, you can complain once or twice, everyone can complain; but make sure you don't do it all the time, that's just bad attitude.
@Yanm Donno, I never really do revenge these day, it was four or five month back, that one day I suddenly decided to fool around with daily, going into a hard macha revenge naked with a pair of lowest possible sword. Only then I realized, I haven't improved much. (I used to solo revenge hard macha back around level 10ish, took me a long time just to fight them, that's with abusing their attack pattern/environment etc, unfortunately, I noticed there isn't much improvement after I think I mastered that battle.) I forgot to mention, you have to stick next to the boss all the time, dealing damage whenever you can. It gets really tricky when the boss charges continuously after you. I also didn't play after they nerf'd the early boats, but that might explain why Hero revenge became so easy after I came back from 2 month's break.
You can go in hero revenge naked with twin short sword if you want, but I don't think you would have the patience for it, you probably can't even break boss DEF.
I mentioned revenge because it's to serve as a comparison of the skill between the old you and the you now, and naked + basic sword is to remove the better gear factor. Believe it or not, a lot players relys on gear to survive.
I guess you can use counterattack, it's a super easy battle with gear on, and without gear, well, I never tried.
Blood Prince might be a good idea too, going naked + basic sword; should be an easy solo with gear on, but it was a line between average player and good player back then, should still hold true if you can lower your ATT and DEF to the corresponding level.